Taliban ban women from working for domestic, foreign NGOs in Afghanistan
PBS NewsHourNov 26, 2022
UN Calls for Taliban to Reverse Restrictions on Women
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Image copyright: Stringer/Getty Images [via Axios]
The Facts
The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned the ruling Taliban's recent laws targeting Afghan women, calling for "the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan."
This comes as the body denounced the Taliban for banning women from attending universities and working for local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), adding that the latter order would impact aid operations in the country.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
A rare unanimous condemnation by the UNSC may be adequate to demonstrate that the Taliban has gone too far in its crackdown on women's rights, amounting to unjustifiable human rights violations against the Afghan people as it silences and excludes half of its population — a move that not only slows human rights and domestic economic progress but hinders humanitarian efforts in the country.
Establishment-critical narrative
The suspension of women's employment in foreign NGOs is a matter of Afghanistan's internal affairs that has been decided by its own leaders, so foreign powers should refrain from meddling in it. And, given that Afghanistan is a sovereign state, all those institutions willing to operate within the country must comply with its rules and regulations instead of making threats.
